General: The american wisteria is native to the southeastern United States and grows here as a creeper with a length of up to 15 meters. Like all wisteria, the plant is very vigorous and has pinnate leaves that turn yellow in autumn. The american wisteria has the smallest and most compact flowers of all Wisteria species. The wild form blooms violet-blue and the shoots are right-winding.
Care as a bonsai: The small flowers make this wisteria species less popular in gardens. As a bonsai, however, this property is quite welcome. The species is also fast-growing and without a loop aid it develops self-supporting branches. The most beautiful are certainly inclined shapes, where the flowers hang freely in spring. However, seedlings take many years to bloom. Therefore it is best to use vegetatively propagated plants or grafts. After flowering, the wisteria is severely cut back, unless the plant is still under construction. The second slight pruning then takes place in late summer. Here the too long shoots up to the flower buds are shortened again. The flower buds differ from the pointed shoot buds in their rounded shape. The roots also grow very strong and finely branched. The plants must therefore be repotted regularly. The roots of the wisteria are sensitive to frost. Therefore, if possible, they should be overwintered frost-free.
